A letter to my younger self ...

Perez Hilton recently posted a letter to his younger self on his blog, followed by my best friend posting one on hers [and making me cry in the process lol]. I shall be a copy cat and do the same because I think it’s dope:

Dear Younger Me,

• You will never belong to just one clique … ever. It didn’t happen in elementary school or high school and will definitely not happen in college. You will meet the most amazing people in various different places so enjoy.

• Your decision to go to college 400 miles away from home will be one of the best decisions you make in your life, as well as one of the hardest. You will be lonely and miserable at times, which will result in rivers of tears, migraines, and loss of weight but it will be all worth it, I promise.

• You will be known as the mean girl as you grow up. And by “mean” I don’t mean vicious or cruel. I mean the short tempered blunt girl who never means to say mean things, they just come out cold sometimes. You will forever work at bettering this and will probably fail miserably. Don’t stress out so much about it. Your true friends will understand.

• Your quiet demeanor will continue but it will oddly work for you. Your social network will go from 50 to 1000+ by the time you’re in your late 20’s. Thankfully you will clearly know the difference between friends and associates and will never really confuse one for the other.

• You will continue to be that person that gives everyone the benefit of the doubt. You are not naïve, you just don’t believe that everyone is evil or that mistakes can’t be learned from. Unfortunately, you will be hurt countless times by this but that’s ok. What’s worse: being a pessimist who believes the worst in people, or being hopeful that people can be good?

• Despite your cold exterior, you will fall a few times and fall hard and for people you least expected to fall for. You will cry and be sad and wonder. Don’t feel ashamed to do so. Everyone comes in to your life for a reason and what is meant to be will be, even if it takes a while for all of it to make sense.

• It’s ok to truly miss someone, regardless of the circumstances behind your story. It really is.

• Try to watch your temper and what you say and how you say it. It will cost you at least one friend or two.

• You will be met with a lot of “really’s?” due to what people see you as and what you really are. The girly girl who is a techie, the quiet chick that’s in a sorority, the “Puerto Rican” who’s really Chilean. Just smile and say yup.

• You will never successfully fill the void of growing up with no family around. Your friends are your heart but family is family. As you grow older you will fall deeper in love with them. Visit Chile as often as you can. They miss and love you too.

• Dad is hard on you now but there’s a reason behind his madness. You will learn to appreciate it as you venture out into the world and go through different situations.

• Despite what you physically look like, you will totally be able to hold your own in a male dominated workplace. Own it. They will notice and have the upmost respect for you.

• It’s ok to be insecure or scared or sad or stressed. It’s ok to cry. Don’t try so hard to act like you always have everything under control. You are human, not a robot. Showing weakness is not a character flaw. Get over it.

Never forget:

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.
-Desiderata, written by Max Ehrmann-

Love always,

-me-